Sustainance for the soul

Waiting can leave you wanting

We finally got the list posted. It seemed to get longer every time little Missy showed it to me. There were things on the list I never heard tell of. I had to ask her to interpret it. Missy couldn’t remember. She had to go back to the ‘source’ and check out what they were again. Clearly, she really didn’t know what she wanted. At seven years of age any toy looks good. How can you possibly know what you want when all that you see twinkles and sparkles and everything is possible? She is not the wanting kind, little Missy. I think the waiting is more of a problem than the wanting. She just can’t wait for Santa but all this waiting is leaving her wanting and all this wanting is leaving me a little concerned. I don’t want her growing up wanting. Wanting is not good for the soul. It can leave a sense of emptiness and unfulfilment that can drag you away from the joy of the present moment. There is a fine balance between waiting and wanting.

Waiting for something can hold you back from getting on with what you need to do now, to get what you want, and where you want to be. How long do we wait? Waiting for something in the future can be a big distraction from the now. If you are waiting for the right moment, the right time, the right person, the right circumstances, you could be waiting forever. During the wait we all must take steps to lead us to what we want. This may call for action. It may also call for inaction, to stop all the things you are doing that keep you from doing the one thing you want to do. The only time you have to do what you want to do, is NOW. Filling each precious moment with living in the now and doing the things you want to do can stop the wanting, though, if I am honest I am not sure if we ever stop wanting.

Do we ever get to the ends of our lists? Do we even need all we wish for? Sometimes it is a good exercise to ask why? Why do I need a new coat? Why do I need a new car? When you ask why it can often uncover why you really want it and why you may not need it at all. Being clear about what we really want can help us plan, focus and get what we want when the time comes.

Of course, I had to inject a sense of realism into the whole Santa letter writing process. To avoid disappointment, I advised Missy that Santa may not be able to grant all her wishes as he has a world of boys and girls to sort. She nodded her understanding and promptly lifted her pencil again. In her neat little hand writing she wrote. ‘Santa, a surprise will be okay too.’

I think that just about covers it. No doubt, there will be a few heartfelt wishes and a few more ‘wants’ expressed but it is the waiting that is going to have her dancing on her tippy toes and checking the advent calendar every five minutes. When the time comes I hope she gets some of what she has wished for and a nice surprise. I hope you do too. Aox

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2 thoughts on “Waiting can leave you wanting”

Oh the magic of Christmas. I miss those handwritten lists. Now they come by e-mail and sometimes only after I threaten that nothing will be under the tree without some help.
As for living in the now. I work on that everyday but I’m a natural born worrier so it doesn’t come easy. Your blog is a big help.